Electoral College has outlived its usefulness

Thursday , November 08, 2012 - 3:49 PM

Gena Lott

On Election Day I heard two statements I found disturbing. The first was made by a news commentator who was monitoring the voting in battleground state, Iowa. He said that those residents were coming out in droves because "they know their vote makes a difference." The other upsetting statement was made by my co-worker who lamented that her vote wouldn’t even count.

So, do the votes of non-swing states really matter? Why was it so obvious that Virginians, Floridians, Ohioans, and Iowans should vote to make a difference while Utahns, Idahoans, and Arizonans were passed over without serious thought?

In this day of modern media, instant messaging and real-time data why is the Electoral College necessary? Isn’t it time we bag this antiquated way of counting our nation’s votes and make each and every vote count?

Is it naïve to believe that if every American citizen’s vote was important that it would encourage more participation in the election process? How could it be more difficult or time consuming than the early and absentee ballots that are causing headaches from sea to shining sea?

It is time every vote counted in every city, county and back-wood’s wide spot in the road! Maybe if we start now, we can be ready in four years to change the entire dynamic of elections in the United States, and every citizen will feel a vested interest in getting out to vote!